| In the late 1980s I studied kung-fu in Omaha. | | | | called him "Charlie Hustle." |
| Lower-ranking students like me enjoyed working | | | | Pete Rose is the embodiment of persistence. He |
| out with one particular black sash. Bob would | | | | didn't need the most talent. He showed up, had a |
| answer our questions about what different | | | | goal, and gave it everything he had. |
| moves meant for self-defense. He could show a | | | | In the dozen or so years since I began teaching |
| flowery movement and then teach us three or | | | | kung-fu, many students have joined my classes. |
| four powerful techniques that we couldn't see | | | | Only one has made it to black sash and one more |
| hidden within -- movements that could break an | | | | will make it during the coming year. When many |
| attacker in an instant. | | | | students see that it isn't like a kung-fu movie and |
| I was amazed at the depth of his knowledge. | | | | it takes many years to develop skill, they drop |
| How did he become so good that he could see so | | | | out. Other students have a deep love for kung-fu |
| deeply into these flowery kung-fu movements? | | | | but life, work, girlfriends and spouses distract |
| The years passed and I continued to study. | | | | them. Only a very few have the persistence to |
| Sometimes, I would begin learning a long series of | | | | make it to black sash. And then they learn that |
| movements known as a "form" (often called | | | | they've only just begun. The real learning comes |
| "kata"). These forms could include up to 100 | | | | after they reach black sash. |
| movements and take 12 or 13 minutes to | | | | Even in the Chen Village, the birthplace of Tai Chi, |
| perform. Each time I would begin on the first | | | | Master Chen Bing says that among the Chinese |
| movement, it seemed that I would never get to | | | | students who study the art, only one in 100 |
| the end. | | | | persist long enough to achieve real skill. |
| But one step at a time -- one movement at a | | | | Remember the old joke -- how do you eat an |
| time -- suddenly the end of the form arrived and | | | | elephant? The answer -- one bite at a time. It |
| I had learned a new one. | | | | may be a joke, but the message is clear. |
| A couple of years ago, I released a series of | | | | Persistence is the most important skill for success |
| DVDs on tai chi fighting applications, looking deeper | | | | in life or in the martial arts. |
| than any videos have ever gone into the | | | | In 2008, I lost my job. Budget cuts, they said. I |
| self-defense techniques hidden in a tai chi form. | | | | went home and told my wonderful wife, Nancy, |
| Now, students were wondering how I learned all | | | | that I was tired of working for people I couldn't |
| that; how I developed the skill to see the | | | | trust. I wanted to launch an online kung-fu school. |
| techniques that aren't obvious on the surface. | | | | "Go for it," she said. |
| The answer is simple -- persistence. | | | | I started with nothing -- reserved the domain |
| Woody Allen once said that 90% of success is | | | | name, planned what I would want if I were |
| just showing up. It isn't quite that easy, but I | | | | studying online, and I began videotaping lessons. |
| agree with the point he was trying to make. The | | | | People raised their eyebrows when I told them |
| most important skill you can have is the ability to | | | | what I was doing. "How can that work?" they |
| persist until you meet your goals. | | | | often asked. |
| Set a goal and don't let anything stop you from | | | | Three months later, the online school was |
| getting there. Just take it one step at a time. | | | | launched. That was almost two years ago, and I |
| Work at it and don't quit. Before you know it, you | | | | have nearly 400 video lessons on the site, plus |
| will have achieved something great. | | | | e-books and other material, and I have members |
| Look at any Olympic athlete -- someone like | | | | around the world who pay a monthly fee to |
| Lindsey Vonn. Consider the hard work it took her | | | | study online. |
| to become a gold medalist. Consider the injuries | | | | I had a dream -- a goal -- and I persisted one |
| she overcame, the crashes, and even the week | | | | lesson at a time. I'm still persisting, too, and also |
| that she won the gold she was enduring an | | | | studying and learning new material to advance my |
| intensely painful shin bruise. | | | | skills so that I can pass it along to my students. |
| She could have given up but she persisted all | | | | Woody Allen was right. I showed up every day |
| along the way and she achieved her dreams. | | | | and worked on my goal. And just like learning a |
| When I was growing up, my favorite baseball | | | | long kung-fu form or eating an elephant, I |
| player was Pete Rose. I watched him play many | | | | knocked out one lesson at a time. It grew and |
| times in Cincinnati, and I was there the night he | | | | grew. |
| broke Ty Cobb's record for hits. Pete was not | | | | It doesn't matter if your goal is work-related, |
| the most gifted athlete. He wasn't the biggest, | | | | family-related, or success-related. Set the goal, |
| the fastest, or the strongest. But he was | | | | map out the actions it will take to get there, and |
| determined to be the best. He practiced hitting | | | | persist. Don't let anyone or anything stop you |
| after others had gone home. He was the first to | | | | from taking one step at a time. |
| arrive at the ballpark, always eager to practice. | | | | If you do this, you can achieve anything, including |
| When he was walked, he ran to first base. They | | | | a black sash. |